18 Section 1
neglect in a home, there is a likelihood that vulnerable people within the
same household, such as children, partners or elderly family members,
are being harmed too);
- animal abuse as a mechanism of power and control to harm, intimi-
date or retaliate against other humans, particularly in cases of IPV, child
sexual abuse and elder abuse;
- animal abuse perpetrated by a child may be an indicator that the child
has suffered serious neglect or abuse, conduct disorder, oppositional
defiant disorder or callousness (psychopathic traits) and may lead to
an increased likelihood of other violent behaviours in childhood and
adulthood;
- abuse of animals may increase the risk of pet aggression towards adults
and children in the same household.
Animal abuse is widely recognized as linking with other types of crime.
‘If somebody is harming an animal, there is a good chance they also are hurting
a human’ (National Sheriffs’ Association, 2018).1.1 The Connections between Animal and Human Abuse and
Neglect in Practice
Awareness of the link between animal abuse and IPV – as well as with neglect – is
increasing globally, and the number of multidisciplinary groups developing pro-
jects to intervene in the cycle of violence and neglect cases continues to grow. This
section cannot provide a fully comprehensive summary of worldwide initiatives
and tools, but it includes basic tools and case studies that are presented to help
readers develop collaborative multiagency networks, and to put programmes in
place to help human and veterinary healthcare professionals.
Developing One Welfare networks requires the engagement of many
stakeholders, including:
- Veterinarians and doctors.
- Animal welfare professionals.
- Animal protection agencies.
- Specialist forensic pathology services.
- Police forces and other relevant law enforcement authorities.
- Local social services representatives (e.g. refuge services, child abuse
prevention, adult protective services and social workers).
- Human healthcare and social care professionals (e.g. health visitors,
physicians, behavioural health service workers, community nurses and
nursery nurses).
- Legal professionals (e.g. prosecutors, judges, and probation and parole
officers).
- Academics in diverse fields (e.g. criminology, psychology, sociology).